Two Hearts
by Fiamatta Montague
Summary: Her smile, her Laugh, her presence, defined the world to him. His hair, his protection, his whole being, made her life complete. And they wonder why they could not live a happily ever after. NaLu. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I hope you will all love this story. I just felt the need to write this one out of my mind. Well, enough said, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (Hope he puts in more romance in the manga soooooon ^^)**

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><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 1**

_Shattered._

_Broken._

_Pained._

Lucy Heartfilia walked swiftly inside the Fairy Tail headquarters. Everyday was always the same. Natsu would be arguing with Gray, Erza would stop the fight by punching the two mages in the head, and Lissana would be laughing at the side with Happy. Mira would continue to give drinks to the guild members while everybody else chill the day out by chatting and having fun with each other.

Yup, it was definitely normal.

But somehow, Lucy could not shake the feeling tugging inside her heart whenever she sees them together. It was somehow foreign yet faintly familiar.

Perhaps this is what they call jealousy.

_Ouch._

_The hurt._

_The tears._

Ever since Lissana came back from Edolas, Fairy Tail became so much brighter. Everybody seemed to miss the _sister _they once thought dead. Even Wendy became friends easily with the takeover mage.

Lissana seemed so at ease right now. It was as if she did not left for years.

'_I hope everything goes back to normal, back to when I was at least important.'_

Lucy heaved a sigh as she walked over to her new sit at the guild. She was seated three tables away from Natsu and the others. Of course, who was she to hinder their happiness? Personally, she was also glad that Lissana came back because at least Mira and Elfman were happier these days.

At the very least, she was thankful that Erza and the gang sometimes invited her to their missions, in which she declines almost always, except in those times when she needed to pay her rent.

It was as if everything was fine. The only difference is that before, it was Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and her. But now, it became Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and Lisanna.

Lucy didn't really know why, but to place Lisanna's name side by side with Natsu always left a bad taste in her mouth.

_Get Stronger. _

_Get Colder._

_And a voice rings inside: As if that is possible._

No. The gang didn't push her away. They just seem to forget that she was around whenever Lissana was with them. Her new seat suits her anyway. She was currently situated at the far end of the guild, near the entrance.

_Better. _

_At least, an easier escape from the pain._

It was Lucy's own choice that she distanced herself from Natsu and the others. She would not even talk to Levy anymore. Mira even asks her to come and sit at the bar once in a while but she always declined saying that she's not staying for too long. After all, one hour is all it took to keep herself from breaking in front of them.

She didn't want to meddle into things; things which are beyond the boundaries set before herself.

_Crying is weak._

_Crying is evil._

_Crying will not get them back._

"Hey Natsu!" Lissana laughed happily. She's currently playing with Happy's tail with her fingers. Her short silver locks swaying as she turned her head from Natsu to Erza and the others.

Natsu happily smiled at the sound of Lissana's voice. He was in the middle of an emerging fight with the now shirtless Gray.

"Yeah?" He asked sheepishly. As if Lissana means the whole world to him right now.

"I hope that we get to carry out our promise soon. You know, the marriage thing?" She said it so casually.

Erza and Gray were listening intently on the conversation. Lucy was even straining her ears to hear what Natsu would say.

Of course, as expected, Natsu was as dense as ever.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Oh. Nothing Natsu, I just said that we should be getting a new job soon." Lissana's smile faded away with her response.

_And she laughs at herself silently._

_Revenge is always as sweet as strawberries._

It was not as if Natsu did not hear Lissana properly. Nope. He definitely heard her loud and clear. But there is something wrong with the image of her and him. Sure, Lissana meant a lot to him. She was her only best friend from before. She takes care of him and Happy. Everyday seemed fun whenever she is around. However, there is only one problem.

Lucy.

He hardly ever saw her near them. Lucy would always be sitting near the door. Exactly after an hour, she would either pick a job on her own, or she would just leave quietly. It had always been her routine. He did not even bother coming to her house anymore because he just didn't know what words to say.

He likes Lucy, Yes. But Lissana also meant something to him. And so, what better way to evade a question than to pretend not to hear anything. After all, he had an image to be an idiot so why not live the reputation?

_Pink + Yellow = A Lot of Complications. _

Lucy smiled inwardly for what had happened. At least, Natsu's dumbness made her smile. Today was not bad after all. The Gods must be smiling upon her right now. She could even feel a grin growing at the corners of her lips. At least, she still had a chance with Natsu. Though, she wasn't quite sure if that chance would materialize in the long run.

A job is what she needed right now. She needed to pay rent immediately, needed to get stronger as soon as possible, needed to be better, for right now, that is the only thing she could do in order to prove to herself that she is worth a Salamander's heart.

Slowly, Lucy stood up from where she was seated.

"Great. An hour wasted again on unimportant things." She mumbled to herself quietly.

Her legs started to walk towards the job board.

As she reached the place, Lucy felt a little overwhelmed to find a lot of jobs posted, all of which had at least 500,000 Jewels as the reward. Most tasks consisted of retrieval duties. Others were involved in capturing some crook. She concentrated slowly on each paper posted. Once her eyes found what she's looking for. She yanked it off the board and waved at Mira with a smile.

Certainly, a job of cleaning a big mansion in order to find a book fitted her perfectly.

Her exit, as per usual, was quiet.

_Her smile, her Laugh, her presence, defined the world to him._

_His hair, his protection, his whole being, made her life complete._

_And they wonder why they could not live a happily ever after._

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><p><strong>As you finish reading the first chapter, don't forget to press on the Review button. It would make me really happy if you all leave reviews. Happiness = Inspiration = Faster Update. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone! I am so happy to read all the reviews. **

**Also, this story doesn't follow the recent events in the manga, but I would surely take into consideration the Lissana being the matchmaker thing. Just give me some time to sort it out. **

**Thank you again to those who read and most especially to those who reviewed (I'm sorry for the late update, my final examinations just ended today ).**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

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><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 2**

_One._

_Two. _

_Three._

Three days since Lucy left the guild for a job. Three days since Natsu, Erza, Gray and Happy last saw her in the guild. Three days since they last heard of her.

_Worry._

_Guilt._

_Anger._

Natsu sighed in his seat. It seemed no one had noticed Lucy's disappearance from three days ago.

Erza even had a look on her face that spelled clearly "I did not notice" when Natsu mentioned it to the group. Gray just continued to strip his clothes down but had a frown on his face. While Happy, he just wailed and cried like he always does whenever something is amiss.

"Natsu, don't you think we should look for Lucy?" Lissana gently commented from Natsu's side. At least the girl had the heart to talk about Lucy in front of Natsu. Deep down in her heart she knew for a fact that the reason why Natsu acted like he did not hear her when she asked about their promise is because of a certain Celestial Mage.

Natsu contemplated hard about what Lissana just said. If he were his normal goofy and idiotic state, he would definitely go and look for her. But right now, he seemed to have a certain understanding that Lucy might have needed a break. A break away from them, a break for her to think, and a break for her to get her old self back.

"I do not think that is wise Lissana. She might want to be alone." Erza casually said with a straight face. For once, she would not go after a friend. For once, she would let Lucy do what she thinks is the best.

_Drip. Drip. Drop._

_Sweat. Blood. Tears._

Lucy slowly opened her weary eyes. It has been a full three days from the time she went on this menial job alone. She even laughed silently to herself when she found this easy job of retrieving a lost book.

It was just another job to pay the rent.

The first day started as she went to hop on a train going to Garage Island. It was a fairly isolated piece of land compared to the hustle and bustle in Magnolia. Five hours of sitting in the train led her to a small dock for boats. From there, it took her another two hours of travelling to get to the bottom of the mountain where the mansion was located, and another three hours or so of travelling on foot to reach her destination.

As Lucy reached the mansion, she gaped in awe at the marvellous sight. The place was nearly twice as large as the former Heartfilia estate before it was seized by the bank. There was even a small village inside the estate. To say it was fit for a king does not even describe how grand it looked.

Her legs slowly walked through the garden path. She intended to finish the job early on so she could get back to Magnolia in no time.

As she reached the door, Lucy gently knocked on the wood in order to let her arrival known.

_Heat._

Lucy never knew that the big house would be engulfed in heat. Summer was around the corner and the heat is expected. Her search around the house for a certain old novel made her bathe in her own sweat. Somehow, Lucy liked the feeling of her body sweating while doing the job. It seems that ever since she joined Natsu's group, she never did sweat on missions. The boys and Erza always finished the job without even needing her help.

_Refreshing._

_Rewarding._

_The sweet feeling of perseverance._

The second day started out when Lucy left the mansion. She did not even notice that her search left her looking for about the whole day. No one even seemed to care that there was a mage in the household.

'_Why would they even need a mage for this kind of task?'_

Lucy sighed inwardly as she handed the book to its owner. The lady of the house seemed please to see her old book that Lucy found under the wooden floor in the attic.

The reward: an easy 500,000 Jewels.

The way back from the mansion to her home posed another gruesome of almost ten hours of travel.

Sleep deprived, food deprived, friends deprived. Luck must not be on Lucy's side. She wasn't ready for trudging down a big mountain just to cut her travelling hours to seven.

_Beauty is danger itself._

Lucy's leg was about to give in due to her weariness. She was walking for two hours already with nowhere to go. The trees all looked the same. The flowers seemed to be like an endless bed leading to an unending path.

It almost felt like running in circles.

Lucy gave another glance up ahead and decided to finally take a nap and just continue on later. Her eyes spotted a nearby tree, large enough to fit her person on its base. As she approached the tree, her weariness took over. She felt her legs give in and soon felt as if her body was floating in mid air. It was too late when she realized that she walked straight into the cliff and not to the tree.

And so she fell hard.

It was night time when she awakened to the sound of an owl. Her right leg was throbbing in pain because of the bleeding caused by her fall. Perhaps this was how her friends felt whenever they bled from battling their enemies.

Lucy gripped her leg gently as she assessed the damage. She sighed in relief.

The wound was not as big as she expected. The reason why it hurts so much was because she twisted her ankle and had broken her leg. At least she won't be dying due to blood loss.

Lucy looked up the sky. Fairy Tail seemed like a distant land away.

"Lucy, what happened to you?" Lucy was startled as she heard Loki's worried voice.

She wasn't quite sure what happened or when the Lion Spirit saved her, but as she saw Loki's features, she could not help but smile in relief.

She was safe.

Loki moved closer to Lucy when she didn't give a reply. He figured she might be in great pain that a little talk became such a hard task.

The moment Loki felt Lucy was in trouble, he immediately crossed the spirit world to aid her. Too bad he was a little too late because he found her already on the floor bleeding and unconscious.

The sky above them roared and lightning flashed in the sky. It was going to rain soon and it would be bad if they stayed here especially with Lucy's condition. Questions would be answered later; right now Lucy's safety is the main priority.

The Lion Spirit bent in front of Lucy and hooked his arms on her shoulder and leg. He gently moved Lucy's body to a more comfortable position before standing up and walking away.

A few minutes of silence passed by before he heard his master's soft voice, "Nothing happened Loki, I just forgot how tired I was." Lucy smiled meekly and leaned her head on Loki's chest.

Right now, after two days, Lucy laid comfortably in an inn where Loki left her for a while to get some food. Her leg seemed better than yesterday. She silently thanked the gods for sending Loki to her aid.

She blinked once, twice, and thrice and her eyes shed the tears she held back from before. She thought her strength was enough, that she could do things without anybody's help. But she was wrong. Her weak state right now demanded the aid of the people surrounding her, her spirits, and her friends.

She sighed in defeat.

_Pain. _

_The reason why we cry._

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><p><strong>Don't forget to leave your reviews (makes me happy very much)<strong>

**I promise to give you juicier chapters in the coming days. I just needed to set a firm ground for this story so please bear with me ^^.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I am so happy to read all the reviews.**

**I'm sorry if it took me a long time to update, I just didn't know what to write next. ^^**

**Thank you again to those who read and most especially to those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

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><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 3**

_Fire._

_Anger._

_Determination._

Makarov cleared his throat as he addressed the people inside the guild. Everybody was straining their ears to hear what their master wanted to say. Even Natsu and Gray who were bickering since they arrived earlier in the guild stopped what they were doing.

The master walked up to the counter of the bar and stood there with all of his height. He cleared his throat, which Mirajane took as a cue for her to step out behind the counter for a little while. Makarov eyed all the present mages in the guild with his knowing eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I am afraid that I have unwanted news for everybody to hear." Makarov paused for a bit before his eyes flickered towards Natsu. "It seems our dearest Lucy decided to prolong her absence for a few more months. She said her father needed assistance in rebuilding their lost riches and getting back their old estate." Makarov ended his statement with a voice that demanded no questions to come from any of his children, because deep inside his heart, he himself doesn't even know how to answer those possible inquiries.

The table where Natsu was seated suddenly broke from the impact of his strong punch. He stood up proud and tall on top of the bench he was seated at and sent Makarov a look that clearly said 'I don't give a damn about what you said.'

"GRAMPS, YOU ARE LYING!" Natsu shouted with anger in his voice. "Lucy would never abandon us in exchange for her father. She never did when the phantom lord attacked us and she never will go back there because WE are her family." He was still breathing hard from his outburst when he felt Erza's hand pulled his scarf.

"Natsu, that's enough." Erza's statement was full of authority. She looked at Natsu straight into the eyes with her own. Understanding passed through Natsu's eyes before he looked over his shoulder and gave Gray the same look as Erza's.

"Master, I think, Natsu, Gray, Happy and I would like to have a vacation as well." She reached for Gray's shirt and pulled Natsu down from where he was standing. Happy flew to the three of them and decided to rest on Natsu's right shoulder.

The trio gave Makarov their most innocent look as they grinned all together.

'_Stubborn kids.'_ Their master nodded his head in approval, clearly not in the mood for a heated argument with one pissed Erza, annoyed Gray, and an angry Natsu. Happy was certainly out of the question.

"Now, please excuse us master for we still need to pack for our much needed vacation." As Erza started to walk out of the guild, the door from the kitchen suddenly opened; revealing a puzzled Levy on the door.

"Chicken, anyone?" Levy asked innocently.

_Boiled._

_Steamed._

_Nothing beats a good cup of Chamomile tea._

Lucy and Loki were travelling together for almost four days. They were walking silently along the luscious green paths which led to the open and busy city of Song.

Song was mostly famous for their soothing and healing teas. It was a town which was always in a buzz especially when winter kicks in and everybody wanted to have a taste of their famous tea leaves.

Lucy was glad that when she woke up from her embarrassing fall, Loki agreed wholeheartedly to become a messenger to Makarov. She didn't mean to lie to the old man but one lie wasn't so bad, right? It's not as if she wasn't going back to the guild. She just wanted some time alone to travel to places and take her mind off Natsu for awhile.

The Lion spirit didn't even bother telling her about what transpired between him and Makarov, all that matters is, right now, they were clearly on a vacation, a vacation that she deserves, without trouble, and without a certain pink-haired idiot behind her back.

"Lucy."

"Yeah?" Lucy looked over at Loki's side with a puzzled look on her face. She doesn't really know what runs inside that head of his. Loki is a great man and a good friend, but, he is certainly someone that Lucy could never understand by looking.

"You should know by now that Natsu is someone who never gives up. He would surely follow us wherever we go until that nose of his sniff us out of our hiding place." Loki gave out a short laugh. "Erza can also be stubborn at times, and would never stop until she reach her goal, and that is, to find you. Not to mention that Gray would undoubtedly use that ice magic of his if that could mean stopping time and preventing us from going somewhere far from their grasp."

Lucy shrugged her shoulders from what Loki had said. She is very confident to say that those three idiots would never chase after her since she hadn't talked to them for the past few months, let alone see her for the past week.

She gave out a small chuckle towards Loki. "Nah, I am pretty much sure that we are safe on our journey. Whatever reason you told Master would have been enough to keep them off my tracks."

The gates of Song city was just ahead of them. The metal door frame was decorated with various leaves and flowers. The busy buzzing sound of people chattering and enjoying the day can be heard from afar.

"Loki, you know, a nice hot cup of tea would certainly be refreshing."

The Lion spirit adjusted his dark glasses before grinning back at Lucy. "Sounds like a date to me."

"You wish!"

_Laughter: a cure to all loneliness._

"I sure feel bad that we had to leave like that from the guild." Gray was munching on some roasted fish, courtesy of Natsu and Happy, while leaning his head back on the tree trunk where he was seated.

The team were enjoying a peaceful rest under the setting sun in the forest. At first, the boys were hesitant to take a rest and eat, but Erza pulled out her scary moves that stopped all other arguments.

Natsu nodded his head in a response to what Gray uttered. This surely was a first since the two would never agree with each other. "I feel the same way, I didn't even said any goodbyes to Lissana, and I don't feel guilty about it. Lucy's worth more than anything. That's for sure." His fish was now giving off a smell of burnt which meant that it was ready to be eaten.

Erza smiled at how Natsu was coping. She couldn't wait to get her hands near Lucy and scold her like there's no tomorrow. It was simply foolish to just run away like that.

At first, Erza thought that it was better to let Lucy have some time on her own, but now, the tables have turned. And if Lucy doesn't realize how important she was to them, they are the ones who would make her step into the light.

The mood was starting to be relaxing but then Happy just had to pull the moves.

"OOOHHHH, I bet Natsu is IN LOVE with Lucy. I can't wait to see to see those pink-haired babies with brown eyes popping out soon." Happy was laughing so hard as he flew towards Erza and Gray who sat across from Natsu.

"SHUT UP! I AM NOT IN LOVE!"

_Blink._

_The lights fade._

_Blink._

_The dark dissipates._

_Blink._

_And then, there was you._

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><p><strong>Don't forget to leave your reviews (makes me happy very much)<strong>

**Forgive me for the lack of NaLu Lovey-dovey in this chapter. I am still in the process of building up the story so, please bear with me. **

**I hope you liked this chapter. I made it a little light-hearted so that it would give a refreshing start for the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading ^^.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! **

**I'm sorry if it took me a long time to update, school started to occupy my time ~.~**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

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><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 4**

_Like a mirror reflecting one's self_

_Like a glass looking through one's soul_

_All broken and left into pieces, nothing is left_

Song City was marvellous. It was really beautiful; full of sunshine and laughter. There were leaves dancing with the soft breeze that blows all throughout the city. Flowers of different colours were in full bloom, making the whole place drowned in every colour possible. There were also tea shops from left to right; each with its own special teas being brewed.

Lucy was feeling happy and giddy inside. It was one of those days that she missed the most. Being happy was something she longed to experience after all the negative emotions she went through. She was skipping along the steps that led to a foot bridge when she felt that Loki was nowhere in sight.

She whipped her head from left to right, back and front, but the Celestial Spirit was still missing. Certainly he was not thinking of ditching her after she had asked him out on a date. It would infuriate her to no end if she found out that she, the great and gorgeous Lucy Heartfilia was turned down by one of the best-looking man on the planet.

"You seriously think that I would run away from a date with you?"

There, from the small bushes on Lucy's right side, Loki emerged with a cocky smile on his face. It took Lucy a minute or two to realize that her date was holding a bouquet of red and pink roses. Her cheeks were now splashed with a tinge of pink. Loki sure looks beautiful right now. If her life was a fairy tale, she would fit the role of the beast, while Loki is the beauty. Screw her previous thoughts of herself as being gorgeous.

Crazy.

She was growing crazy. No, that's not right; she was beyond crazy to think that Loki and herself would be the perfect characters for Beauty and the Beast.

_And slowly, someone picks up the shattered pieces._

_Gluing them together, sticking them together, _

_Until it was all brand new._

"Well, of course, I did not. You should consider yourself lucky to have a date with me Loki." She flashed him a grin as she opened her palm in anticipation of her roses. Right now, as Lucy fixed her eyes on Loki's, she felt safe, at home, and at peace.

A few days ago, she wouldn't think of Loki in any other way except as her spirit. A friend on whom she could trust her life with, a confidante whom she could share her most inner thoughts and a warrior who will protect her at all cost. Loki was just Loki.

"You know, for a girl, you are quite the aggressive one Lucy." Loki pushed his glasses a little higher. "How are you sure that these flowers are for you?"

When Lucy was embarrassed, she elicited the cutest expressions. He couldn't help but admire her in all the possible ways. He was damned if he hadn't thought of her as being more than a friend, more than a master. It was nice to pester Lucy and annoy her to no end.

He doesn't remember exactly when he thought of Lucy as someone special. Maybe it was the way her eyes lit up with excitement, maybe it was the way her tears flowed freely on her cheeks, or maybe it was the way she showed courage and strength against her enemies. He doesn't know why, but being with Lucy was something he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Maybe there was really a happy ending for the second-best guy in every story. Maybe there's a story out there where the prince didn't is not going to be with his princess, and instead, it was the knight who will get and snatch the princess away. He knows it was wishful thinking, but god knows how much Loki wished for it to be true.

As Lucy was about to open her mouth to retort Loki's words, she was taken by surprise when he plucked a stem of red rose from the bouquet and snap the long stem off. He then bent down on eye level with Lucy and placed the flower on her ear. He smiled a little when she caught Lucy's startled expression.

"Here." He reached her open palm and gently placed the flowers on it. "I take it that roses are to your liking."

Lucy nodded her head and decided to take a long look at her flowers.

Red.

Red.

Pink.

Red.

Natsu.

She lowered her eyes when she remembered something familiar. Of course, he would always get in the way. He sure knows how to creep up her heart even when he is not even around.

She hugged the flowers closely and smelled its scent.

Her thoughts were swarming with Natsu. He just wouldn't leave her mind, won't he? He was always visiting her even as she dreams, always letting her hear the sound of his laughter even when he's not even around the area. Even now, when she thought her mind was focused on Loki, he would constantly remind her that her heart still belongs to him. And she could never escape from it.

Lucy heaved out a sigh. Things were surely wasn't getting better. It was all in her imagination. A fracture of the reality she wished was true; a time and a place where no pink haired salamander exists. One moment she was happy, the next, she was back to square one; back to the point where Natsu is the only thing in the world for her.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Loki touched her arm; obviously trying to get her moving out of her spot.

"Are you okay Lucy?" His voice was full of concern - a contrast to his usual flirtatious self.

"Yes, I am."

He knows she's lying. Now that he thought about it, getting something near the colour pink was certainly a no-no from now on. If he wanted to be _the_ knight, it would do him no good to remind the princess about her prince.

"You know Lucy, right now; we are far away from Magnolia." He hooked her arms into his as he guided them towards the other end of the bridge. "I know a few weeks won't get _him_ out of your life so easily, but, I hope he would soon be flushed out of your system. Frowning makes you un-cute Lucy."

She flashed him a weak smile. '_Maybe it's time, to forget, and to move forward.'_

"You know Loki, I have high expectations out of you, and I hope you don't mess up our little date today."

They reached the end of the bridge and were now walking towards one of the best tea shops around. Madam Aurora was one of the ten tea shops featured in the highly famed list of the 'best place for a cup of tea'.

"Don't worry Lucy, I live up to my reputation. I didn't have four dozen of girls for nothing."

"Playboy."

"I know."

"Womanizer."

"Yup, that's me."

"What else are you called anyway?" She was running out of insulting adjectives to call Loki. All that was left in her dictionary were along the lines of handsome, cute, hot, and perfect.

"I don't know, what do you think?" His eyes were glinting with mischief as he moved his face closer to hers.

If he was evading her question, he was doing it properly. If he was flirting with her, he was doing it perfectly.

Awkward wasn't the right word. But she guessed she liked the situation enough.

"That's basically the reason why I asked you. I couldn't think of anything else, Casanova."

She heard him laugh a little which made her raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"There, you said it."

"What?"

"Casanova. I like it."

His laughter filled her ears, soon enough. She was laughing merrily along with him. Whoever said that laughter is contagious, well, that person should probably be rolling on his grave right now because his theory was correct.

_Red. A sacrifice he makes whenever a shard pierces his skin._

_Pink. The scar left of the moments gone by._

The day went on as Lucy and Loki strolled around the city. Lunch had been a little eventful. With all the boys prying for Lucy's attention, and with all the girls getting much too close for comfort on Loki. The afternoon was left quiet and peaceful. The two went to a nearby park and just talked about everything under the sun. By the time they finished chatting, it was soon beginning to turn dark. The night sky is slowly kissing the day's remainder away.

"Loki, I had so much fun today."

They were back at the hotel they were staying and Lucy let herself fall into the couch.

"Thank you, Loki."

Her eyes slowly closed as she slumbered peacefully; heaving small sighs of relief whenever she breathes.

Loki picked her up from the couch and laid her gently on the bed. He stared at her face and placed a hand on her cheek as he memorized and buried her face on his mind. When he felt satisfied, he left the room and went on his own.

_And through the process of it all,_

_He wishes that the scars of broken glasses and mirrors would remain as a distant memory._

_A memory to be buried in the past._

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><p><strong>So there, I decided to give you guys a little fluff between Loki and Lucy. <strong>

**Don't worry, Natsu would soon be shown in the next chapter. I hope you guys like this.**

**Don't forget to leave a review ^^.**

**~ Fia.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! **

**Sorry for the long wait. ~.~**

**Well, here you go, on with the story ^^.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

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><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 5**

_As seconds turn to minutes and as minutes turn to hours,_

_As hours turn to days and as days turn to weeks,_

_My longing for you will never cease._

_Your memory is ingrained in my heart._

Natsu groaned loudly as he slumped down on his seat. His arms hanging at his side while Happy sat on the table.

"Quit it Natsu. Stop Groaning! It's spoiling my appetite." Gray was sitting across Natsu with Erza by his side. He lifted a glass of cold water and chugged down the liquid in one go.

They were seated at a restaurant in Song City and were waiting for their orders to arrive. It has been a long trip for the gang that they were now as hungry as hell.

After they sat and took a rest at a clearing in the woods, Natsu insisted to Erza and Gray that they should already be travelling along the forest. At first, the two seemed agreeable and so they followed after Natsu in silence.

Things got nasty when all Erza could see were green leaves, brown tree trunks, and ants of different sizes and colours. Gray couldn't care less but the heat made him stripped out of his clothes and all hell broke loose. Erza's temper snapped at that instant.

The moment they caught sight of a town, the two boys immediately went in for a restaurant. They waited for Erza to come near them as she was still busy enjoying the cool breeze that went past her. A pissed Erza was one that they could never face even in their dreams.

"Here are your orders."

Gray turned his head towards the voice and gave the waitress a charming smile. Natsu was still slumping in his chair while Erza and Happy held out their hands to receive their food.

The waitress was grinning and smiling back at Gray while giving Erza her Chicken Barbeque with Rice and Happy his Tuna Paella. She even brushed her fingers against Gray's hands as she hands him his Beef Brisket with Rice. She turned to Natsu lastly as she handed him his Roasted Chicken and Spaghetti.

"Natsu, why are we here again?"Erza asked Natsu as she bit her luscious chicken meal.

Natsu was munching on his meal when his eyes met Erza's, "Because we are looking for Lucy?"

"Nice answer Flame-brain, but how are you sure that she is anywhere near us right now?" Gray lifted an eyebrow at Natsu's direction. "For all we know, she might be in another direction opposite of where we are going."

"I trust my instinct. It never failed me even once."

"So you had us follow you around just because of your stupid animal instinct?"

"Shut up stripper! My animal instinct is perfectly accurate!"

Gray was about to rebut Natsu's comment when Happy beat him to it. "Oh do not make a fuss about it Gray, it's not animal instinct, it is called L-O-V-E instinct."

"Natsu," Erza spoke in a low tone "if you had us in the wrong direction, I swear you will not be seeing the next sunrise."

_Slowly, you fill my mind with your smile,_

_Gently, you reach out and hold my heart in your hands,_

_Lately, all I wanted to say is I Love You._

"Lucy, what do you want to do today?"

Lucy jerked her head up and smiled at Loki. She just finished writing in her journal when said Lion walked in the room.

"Smiling will not work on me Lucy." Loki walked over to Lucy and teasingly poked her forehead.

"Well, how about we eat something after we checked-out of this place?"

"Okay."

"I'll meet you downstairs. I still need to finish packing my things."

Loki nodded his head at Lucy's request. He was happy that the girl was back to her old cheery self. Seeing a depressed Lucy was always a pain in his eyes, her tears made his heart clenched in anger towards a certain pink-haired man.

As he looked at Lucy's serene face, he could not help but admire the beauty before him. She looks beautiful and he was glad it was all for his sight. He smiled at Lucy one last time before he exited the room. He'd be damned if he allowed this chance to slip by his hands.

Lucy watched Loki's retreating back before she glanced down at her journal. Today seemed a little surreal. She knows it was not because of what happened during her mini-date with Loki, but she was sure of one thing – Loki is definitely someone who can weave into people's hearts.

She collected her notebook and pen and placed it inside her bag. It was a habit that she can never outgrow, for Lucy, writing her thoughts and feelings became her little entertainment for herself. She even laughs loudly whenever she reread some funny entries she wrote.

It took Lucy five minutes to keep her things and another five was spent in front of the mirror. When she was satisfied with her look, she arranged her bag properly over her shoulder and walk out of the room to go downstairs.

Loki was flipping through some magazines when he felt Lucy's presence in the room. He already paid the hotel personnel a while ago before he went into his master's room. They were supposed to be leaving Song City two hours ago but were delayed because he did not have the heart to wake Lucy up.

"Hi Loki, I am really hungry so why don't we go and grab something to eat?" Lucy reached Loki's side and looped her arms around his.

"Sounds good to me Princess."

_My fingers can only reach as far as the tips of your hair,_

_It is like clinging to life even when fate keeps us apart._

"Natsu, what are you going to say to Lucy when you see her again?" Erza asked Natsu as the waitress came to pick up their payment for their food.

"I don't really know, I just want her back with us."

"I really hope she's thinking the same thing Natsu."

"Gray, believe me, I really hope of it as well."

The group went out of the door as soon as the waitress came back with their change. They were turning towards the hotel section when Happy perked up his ears and tapped Natsu in the shoulder.

"Hey, I think I just saw a flash of yellow, must be my imagination."

"Happy you are just tired, though maybe I am too. For some odd reason I kept smelling Lucy's scent."

Erza strained her eyes in the direction where Happy saw a flash of yellow. Everything was muffled and was blocking her sight. She shrugged her shoulders and motioned for the group to get some decent sleep at a hotel.

"How may I help you miss?" The hotel receptionist greeted Erza with a smile. Natsu, Gray, and Happy stood behind her.

"I need two rooms please."

"Oh you're just in luck; we only have two rooms left, two of our guests just left earlier. They were really a nice couple, though I am still wondering why they did not share a room and opted to have separate quarters."

The streets of Song city was as busy as usual. Lucy walked happily at Loki's side while chatting about what train they should ride in order to reach her father's new house.

"Lucy, I thought you wanted to eat some chicken barbeque at the shop we just passed?"

Lucy stopped in her tracks and looked at Loki. "I thought we should just grab some food at the station seeing that we are a little off our schedule."

Loki laughed at her comment and nodded his head."Well, we would not be this late if you woke up earlier. By the way, you should get some sleep during the ride. I love hearing you sleep talk."

"SHUT IT! I don't talk in my sleep!" Lucy punched Loki lightly on the arm and dragged him towards the train station up ahead.

_I reached out for you even in my sleep,_

_But even then, I can never reach you,_

_Just like how our hearts can never meet._

* * *

><p><strong>So there, I hope you like this chapter. <strong>

**Please don't forget to leave a review; tell me what you think ^^ **

**~ Fia.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! **

**I'm sorry if it took me a long time to update, our finals just ended a few days ago. ~.~**

**Hope you'll like this new chapter! ^^**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 6**

_Run away fast, faster than the wind. _

_For when I catch you,_

_I would never let you go._

The wooden steps on the quiet hotel creaked with each footsteps from the trio. Erza was leading the pack with their keys in her hand. Gray followed afterwards with his shirt dangling on his shoulders. Salamander came in last with happy flying over his head.

Natsu was feeling uneasy ever since they heard the receptionist's comment about the previous occupants of their rooms. He felt a tinge of hope that maybe Lucy was here before them. Deep inside his heart he longed for it to be true. Natsu wanted to see her, explain his feelings, apologize, and then come home together to the guild.

But of course, wishful thinking most often does not come true. He remembered when Lucy was caught by Master Jose of the phantom guild, the world definitely stopped for him. That time, all he wanted was to get Lucy back to Fairy Tail. Natsu never even considered the possibility that a part of him wanted her back because he needs her.

Then, when all things were getting close to normal, they found out that Lucy went back home to her father. It shattered him to pieces, after all their hard work to get her back she would voluntarily run to Mr. Heartfilia's arms like nothing transpired between them. But even then, she came back to them.

She always comes back to them.

Until now.

This time, she went away with no intention of coming back, always running far past them. This time, he was not bringing her back because she belongs to Fairy Tail. This time, he was chasing her because she belongs to him.

And he would make sure Lucy would get that message.

As the gang neared their rooms, Natsu suddenly picked up a distinctive smell on the other side of the door.

"Erza, open the door now."

He opened his palm towards Erza motioning her to just give him the darn keys or heaven knows what he might do to the door.

Erza gave Natsu a disbelieving look before she opened the door herself.

Natsu caught the scent of the room and quickly ran towards the bed to lift its cover. He desperately hoped his intuition was right. Natsu then crouched next to the bed to look underneath it, he found nothing.

Gray and Erza stood shocked on the door. Natsu was definitely acting weird. He seems to be looking for something.

Desperately.

Happy tried to fly towards Natsu and ask him what's wrong when said person grabbed him in the shoulders harshly.

"Happy, you said earlier that you saw something like yellow. Tell me Happy, was it _her_?"

"I do-don't know Natsu, maybe I was wrong." Happy was already flapping his arms in the hopes of freeing himself from Natsu's grip.

His grip hardened as he pried Happy for information. "HAPPY! TELL ME!"

"NATSU YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

Erza saw the situation worsening by the minute so she already butted in with the two.

"Quit it Natsu! What the hell is wrong with you?" Erza's voice was strong and hard.

"She's here."

"What was that flame-brain?"

"I said she _was_ here."

"How do you know about that?" Gray asked Natsu. He was starting to think his friend was turning nuts or Natsu was simply just right. He hoped the latter was true.

"I can smell her scent. It is not just here, but the moment we stepped into town."

Natsu's gripped loosened around Happy. It was another failure. Lucy was here, in this room, not too long ago. But they were too late. He failed in his task of bringing her back.

He was an idiot.

He knew he should have trusted his instincts more. If they hadn't rested in the woods, or if they just listened to Happy earlier, Lucy would now be with them, in their presence, and in _his _arms.

Darn it all.

Happy couldn't help but stare at Natsu. He was also feeling the regret at the chance that they had. They were so close to being with Lucy. He was about to suggest to look for Lucy when a blur went past them and shut the door closed.

Silence filled the room as Erza and Gray each took a seat on the bed with Happy sitting on the table in front of them.

"We should leave Natsu with this and wait for him to come back." Erza heaved a sigh. It really was a long day, too much emotional drama for her taste.

"I was just thinking. If the receptionist was right, and if Natsu was also correct, Lucy was definitely not alone. She was here with somebody else."

"What are you trying to say Gray?"

"Do you think Lucy ran away because of a man?"

"I don't think so. She's not the type of girl to do that."

"Then, who do you think was here with her?"

_Your scent drives me mad._

_It keeps my heart beating faster._

_It keeps my heart alive._

Natsu ran past through the crowd. He wanted to find Lucy so fast that he allowed his legs and nose to carry him wherever she might be.

He looked around him frantically in the train station. If his instinct brought him here, he was almost a hundred percent sure of his success.

Natsu sniffed the air of the place and ran straight to Platform 7. The train was leaving in one minute for Gracia. He felt his heart dropping.

'_Lucy, please come back to me.'_

Lucy shifted in her seat as Loki came sat next to her with their treats. They are boarded on a train leaving for Gracia. It was the town where her father recently brought a place to stay. She wanted to surprise him with her visit.

"Attention to all passengers. In a few moments, we will be leaving Song city. We hope you will have a pleasant trip with us. Thank you."

Lucy settled herself near the window. She was feeling a little sad leaving the place especially since she had a lot of fun here with Loki. But it could not be helped. She needed to get far away from Natsu as much as possible.

As the train started to roll its wheels and the engines throttled, Lucy felt the train moving slowly. She was about to close her eyes and doze off a little when she caught the one thing she's afraid to see.

"LUCY! COME BACK!"

Her eyes widened at the voice and at the running form of Natsu. He was trying hard to catch the train but it was too late.

"Loki, he's here."

"I know."

"What should I do?"

"_LUCY!"_

Without any thought, amidst all the people looking towards Natsu and the two of them, before Natsu's wide eyes, Loki placed his arm around his master's body and dipped his head down towards Lucy.

It was the last scene Natsu saw before the train rolled away far past him.

_One beat, and she was there._

_One breath, and he was there._

_One look, and his heart broke._

* * *

><p><strong>So there, the meeting of the lifetime. <strong>

**Hopefully, I'll try to update before the New Year comes.**

**Merry Christmas!**

**Your reviews make me happy! So just click that review button at the bottom of the page! ^^**

**~ Fia.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! **

**I'm sorry if it took me a long time to update. ~.~**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

**Beta is by my wonderful best friend Tintin.**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 7**

_Open up my heart and you'll see;_

_The lies I tell myself as I sleep at night._

Natsu stood with shaking fist at the edge of the train platform. He could not believe what happened a few moments ago. His eyes must be deceiving him, surely that wasn't a kiss right? Heck, maybe it was not Lucy and probably the real Lucy is still somewhere in this damned city.

How he wished it was that simple.

No matter how hard he tried to deny things, he knows it was definitely Lucy. No other Lucy has the same brown eyes that he loves so much. No one can compare to her, no one can be at par with _his_ Lucy.

_His_ Lucy.

_His Lucy._

Lucy would only be his. No one else should be with her except him. He loves her too much to just give up so easily with just a simple kiss.

Loki, the root of all his problems; that darn lion spirit just has to ruin everything between him and Lucy. God knows what he might do to Loki when he sees him next.

With his determination set in place, Natsu calmed his shaking fists and quietly walked away from the platform. He would get Lucy back and straighten things with her. He would ask her about the kiss and her feelings and hopes that she answers back with 'I love you and only you'. Nothing would come between them, even if it is Loki.

As Natsu neared the entrance of the station, he whipped his head at the sight of the nearest ticket counter. Natsu contemplated with himself. He should probably head back to Erza and the others before he makes a move. They're probably worried about him right now. Who knows what Erza might do to him if he just disappeared without their knowledge? Still, the prospect of heading over straight to Lucy sounded more appealing to him, even at the cost of Erza's wrath.

"Excuse me miss?" Natsu placed his hand on the window and peered at the ticket lady.

"What can I do for you?"

"Can you tell me the destination of the train which just left a few minutes ago?"

"That train is headed towards Gracia. It's a small town but it would take about five hours of travelling time before it arrives."

"Is there any other train leaving for Gracia?"

"Please wait a moment sir." As the woman punched some words into her computer, Natsu felt hope rising up in his chest. It's now or never. He might never get the chance again.

"Sir, the next train for Gracia will be leaving around 5am in the morning. Gracia is a very secluded town so we only have one or two trips for it in a day."

"Thanks."

Natsu heaved a sigh as he left the counter. Tomorrow morning is already too late. Lucy was never an idiot to begin with; she would be leaving Gracia around that time already for she knows Natsu would trail just behind her. The time gap is too long. Too much time to waste, too much opportunity forgone, and too much distance would already be in place.

_I Love You,_

_The three words I utter in your ear,_

_The three words he utters in your ear._

Erza was pacing around the room as she kept glancing towards the clock, Natsu was sure late. It's not like him to just run off and never say a word to them.

Things are getting too complicated. First, Lucy was here and they just missed her by a fraction of time. Second, Lucy was with someone whom they do not know. Third, Natsu was missing. The search for Lucy is definitely going out of hand.

"Erza, stop pacing around, it's making me anxious as well."

Gray was sitting on the bed with his back resting on the wall. Who could be with Lucy at the moment? It couldn't be possibly one of the guild's mages. Surely when they left the gang made sure to make an account of all the people there and none was amiss except for the blonde. Could it possibly be a guy they do not know? Nah, as bad as it may sound, Gray made it a daily habit of his to try and read Lucy's letters to her mom. Surely if there was a guy, she would never hesitate writing it down.

However, there was one tiny problem. Lucy stopped writing to her mom a few months back. The first time it happened, Gray thought that Lucy was just tired from their journeys and would write the next day. The next day came and the day after that and no letter materialized.

Who could be close to Lucy that they forgot? If only Loki was here, he would definitely ask the lion spirit to uncover the truth about Lucy. But wait. What if Loki already knows what's happening and just refused to tell them? Could it be that he is the guy Lucy's with?

No. That could never happen. Loki's a good friend. Surely he's as loyal to Lucy as he is to the guild. He would never betray them by keeping Lucy away.

"Natsu, you're back." Happy said a little loud for Erza and Gray to hear. The two were very much preoccupied with their thoughts that they did not hear the creak of the door when it opened.

"Happy, sorry for earlier, my bad."

Natsu ruffled Happy's head as he took a seat near Gray.

"Natsu, where were you?"

"Erza, you might get mad at me, but a few moments ago, I had considered the idea of leaving you guys behind and run off on my own."

"Natsu you idiot, what the hell are you talking about?"

Natsu hung his head low, his hands clutching the bed sheets.

"I saw Lucy."

"Great!" Erza exclaimed, she was about to pack her things when she noticed the dejected look on Natsu's face.

"Well, where is she then?"

Gray was now looking straight towards Natsu, something is not just right.

"She's gone."

"What do you mean by that Natsu?"

"She left the town already."

"What?" Gray was now pulling on Natsu's scarf angrily. The idiot has seen Lucy and he let her go? Darn it. They're back to square one!

Natsu slapped Gray's hand away. He looked him straight into the eyes as he seethes the words from his lips.

"I COULD NOT STOP HER! SHE'S WITH LOKI!"

Silence filled the room as Natsu relayed to them what happened. "I was following Lucy's scent..." The gang could not believe what they heard. Not only was Loki's with Lucy, but they even kissed in front of Natsu.

"What are you planning to do then?"

"Gray, I just came back to tell you guys what happened. That aside, I also neeedd Happy's wings."

Natsu stood up from the bed and grabbed his bag.

"Why?"

Natsu looked at Happy and grinned.

"Because I have a princess to save."

_My right hand holds an orange,_

_My left hand holds a strawberry,_

_My heart is in between._

"Lucy?"

"..."

"I'm sorry."

Lucy held out her hand and reached for Loki's. He was feeling guilty and never once tried to say anything to her for the last hour.

"It's okay." Lucy squeezed his hand tighter.

Loki felt relief wash over him upon hearing Lucy's words. He smiled back at her as he reached out and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad."

"Loki?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think he hates me now?"

The sound of the train moving filled their ears. As Loki looked over at Lucy, he gave her a small chuckle.

"Probably, but he would definitely hate me more because I kissed you."

Lucy stared at him for a few seconds before she joined him in laughter. Loki was definitely a good companion and friend. He made things lighter for her to bear. She just hoped that the look she saw on Natsu was definitely true; the look of yearning for someone dear.

"Yeah, too bad you missed the lips."

_Come, run after me._

_Run until you reach me._

_I'm waiting for you._

* * *

><p><strong>So there. <strong>

**I know I said that I'd try to update before the new year. But hey, it's still before the Chinese New year. **

**So... **

**Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!**

**(I'll try to update droplets – new story - before the month ends. School is definitely killing me slowly. Ugh.)**

**Your reviews make me happy! So just click that review button at the bottom of the page! ^^**

**~ Fia.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone!**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

**(Fairy Tail keeps on getting exciting. I can't wait to read the next manga chapter ^^)**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 8**

_In a slow and albeit painful manner,_

_I glue the pieces of my broken heart._

_In the hopes that I could feel what it is to Love again._

For some reason, without even knowing why, pent up feelings of happiness, anxiety, and doubt clouded Lucy's thoughts.

At first, she felt giddy and happy at the sight of Natsu and the look on his face, but for some reason, she somehow felt that maybe, she was wrong. That maybe the feelings that were reflected in Natsu's eyes were nothing but mere sheer happiness at finding a lost teammate who left without saying goodbye. That maybe those were not of longing and yearning but of relief – relief that Lucy, his nakama, is safe and sound.

Lucy shivered at the thought. She does not want to think about these things. She does not want to lose the happiness and hope that she felt at the sight of Natsu.

She heaved a sigh and leaned closer to the window with her hair covering one of her eyes. Her lips parted a little and she blew a little air - enough to form some moist on the surface. She then lifted her hand and drew a little smile. Oh how she wanted that her own lips would do the same.

Before, while Lucy still lived in her old house, she always draws up near the big windows in her room and just be contented with watching the view from afar. Her hands would soon reach out for the glass pane and start drawing images of happy faces. It was one of the ways she uses to cope from sadness and unwanted feelings.

Some things never changed.

The chatter in the train grew louder, snapping Lucy out of her thoughts. She whipped her hair to her right and looked at the people crowding over the other side of the train. It seemed something interesting caught almost all of the passengers' attention.

For a moment, Lucy's curiosity took over her and she started to eavesdrop on some conversation. As she started to listen to voices, the train's noise grew louder. Too bad she only caught the words 'blue' and 'flying' from the people.

She almost asked Loki to hear out the exchanges but sadly, Loki left a little while ago. Actually, she forced the Lion into going back to the spirit world saying that he needed some time to recover his magic and strength. At first Loki was hesitant to leave. He reasoned that he was doing fine and a few days away from the spirit world won't kill him. She insisted anyway and so he left.

Lucy knew that Loki must have been feeling hurt all this time, especially when she talks about Natsu, yet he still tries his best to show her everything is all right. She knew the Lion spirit's feelings for her; however, as much as she wanted to return the same to him, her heart belonged to Natsu.

Loki's a good friend and she would try her best to be there for him. She really loves him too, though that love would never be like the one she has for Natsu.

"Lucy."

At the sound of her voice, Lucy looked up at the man in front of her. Her eyes soften at the sight of him and she smiled. His clothes were still the same, except for his forgotten coat – probably he left it behind so that he could flaunt his charm at numerous ladies.

"You're back early."

"I didn't want to keep you waiting."

Lucy moved a little to give room for Loki. That Lion sure has the perfect timing in all occasions.

"So how many hours left before we reach Gracia?" Loki lifted his arm and placed it around Lucy and whispered in her ear. "I would really like it if we are arriving soon. The women here look as if they would eat me alive." He gave out a small chuckle as he ended his speech.

If Loki wasn't such a good friend and if her mood wasn't so damn confusing, Lucy would have punched him through a wall.

"Of course they would do that to you." Lucy reached out and poked Loki's cheeks. "You look like the prince charming who kissed sleeping beauty awake." Actually, prince charming was an understatement. The way Loki's white shirt clung to his frame, complemented by his loose brown tie; he sure embodied the category of being _perfect_.

"Well, of course I would because as you said so yourself, I am Loki the Casanova. Fear not my lady, you are most welcome to look and ogle at my gorgeous body anytime you want."

Loki gave out a hearty laugh and soon Lucy followed after.

When Loki was forced to go back the Spirit world, he did not put up a big fight with Lucy. She needed some time alone and he would give it to her. However, even though he wanted to stay longer in the spirit world to heed Lucy's request, he could not bring himself to do it. He needed to be by her side, he wanted to be there for her during this time. And so, the moment he left Lucy's side, he came back quickly right after, just in time to see a blue cat flying ahead of the train. He knew it wasn't right to feel jealous but God, he suddenly had the urge to beat the hell out of Natsu and take Lucy far away.

But he was Loki, a loyal spirit and a loyal friend. He would never betray Lucy even if it kills his heart. If Lucy wanted to be with Natsu, and if that idiot wanted to be by her side and make up for all the things he has done, who was he to stop them? After all, he was just a _mere _friend who happened to be so in love with a certain celestial mage.

_You left in a blur._

_So fast, so quick._

_Without a word of goodbye._

Erza and Gray each sat on the two beds. Both of them are wondering and still in a daze as to what really happened.

Everything seemed to turn out so fast. One moment they were having a talk about Lucy and the next they have Natsu out of their sight.

"Erza, do you think Natsu would get her in time?"

"Of course he would. He has Happy on his side. They could outdo even a train's speed with Happy's flying."

"I sure hope everything will be alright."

_Can you see me clearly?_

_Even with my eyes closed, I can and I would._

"That train ride sure was fast Lucy."

"What fast are you talking about? I was almost murdered by 30 women in the hopes of getting your attention."

When the train skidded to a stop half an hour back, Lucy and Loki didn't waste any time to jump out of the train and walk away quickly as they could.

"What are you talking about? They were only giving you glares."

"Hey Loki."

"Yeah?"

"Look at that tree. It's so beautiful." Lucy stopped in her tracks as she pointed to the apple tree ahead.

"You're right."

The tree was rooted below the steps they were standing on. It rests near the stream and seemed to be at least a hundred years old. Its leaves swayed with the wind as the apples on the branches started to fall due to the breeze.

"Quick, let's go get some." Lucy hurriedly went down towards the tree without even looking behind if Loki followed after her. As she neared the tree, Lucy could not believe her eyes. How fast he got here she did not know. But what she knows is that her heart was jumping with joy but was also feeling terrified.

She took one step closer and met his eyes for the second time that day.

"Natsu."

_My heart beats like a drum._

_Full of joy, yet full of fright._

* * *

><p><strong>So there.<strong>

**I hope this chapter did not turn out so bad. Actually, I hope it wasn't as bad as I think it is. It was unbeta'd and I wrote this on a whim (in between accounting and the gorgeous Lee Min Ho from the Korean series City Hunter – you guys should all watch this drama! It's oozing with coolness). **

**I'll try to update droplets over the weekend. **

**I'll also try to post chapter 2 of "15 foods for the heart" sometime next week. Why so fast you might ask? Simple, its theme based and light-hearted and revolves around food, yummy. I hope it won't turn out crappy as well.**

**Your reviews make me happy! So just click that review button at the bottom of the page! ^^**

**~ Fia.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone!**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**To all you guys, who read Two Hearts patiently up to this point this is for you.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

**Okay, this chapter is the reason why this story is rated T.**

**Btw, I rechecked all the previous chapters and edited some things especially on the first few ones. Do check it out if you have some time. **

**Well, here goes chapter 9.**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 9**

_Make me feel like a princess._

_Make me feel important._

_Was it too much to ask of you?_

For a moment Lucy stilled at the sight of Natsu. His eyes were focused on hers as she stood before him. Happy was nowhere in sight.

It was only a coincidence that Happy decided to land on this tree. In fact, the only reason why Natsu's here was because the apples looked great. To see _her _now was something he was unprepared for.

A breeze passed through them before Lucy willed her legs to move forward. Her heart was screaming at her to just jump at Natsu and hug him so tight while telling him that she loves him and how much he means to her.

Her mind says otherwise, if she had the courage to go this far, might as well continue what she started.

With each step she took, their distance became smaller. Natsu stood dumbfounded at the sight, he wanted to scream her name and kiss her lips just like what Loki did. She was his. Yet, he couldn't open his mouth to push the words out.

As she got close enough to be at arm's length. Natsu's hand reached out to her but he was met with the cold air.

Lucy walked past Natsu without even glancing at him. She went straight to the tree and crouched down to pick up some fallen apples. Damn her pride.

"Lucy."

It took a lot of courage from Natsu to call out Lucy's name. He thought she would walk straight into his arms yet she did not. Seconds trickled by but Lucy's lips were sealed. She did nothing to respond to Natsu, not even a nod of the head or a look over her shoulder. She just continued to pick up the apples on the ground as if she heard nothing.

Natsu's patience was thinning very slowly. He wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to lowering his pride and running after something that was clearly out of his grasp. He had prepared for Lucy to accept him. Not this silent treatment.

He took another breath and called out her name again, but still, she did not respond.

For a moment, Lucy was glad that her back was facing Natsu. If only he could see her face, he would see how much she wanted to be with him at this moment. Yet, her damned pride would not let her do it. She knew it was foolish to tread on this path, but what's done has been done. If Natsu really loved her, he should prove it to her right now more than anything. Mere silence should not stop him.

"Luce."

He called her a third time, yet she was still unresponsive. Groaning, he reached out to her, pulled her body from her crouched position and turned her around so she was facing him.

The apples she gathered were falling down one by one, as if counting the seconds going by. As the last apple fell down with a thud, Natsu could not take it any longer.

"Lucy. Why are you like this? I called out to you didn't I? Why won't you respond?" His anger was radiated in every word. He shook her roughly until he heard Lucy whimper from his harsh treatment.

"I don't have anything to say to you." This was half of the truth anyway, at least for Lucy's part. She needed to feel secure about his feelings. She didn't want to get hurt especially if she said that she could not respond because all she would say is I love you and I'm sorry. Lucy wasn't prepared to hear Natsu's rejection, and so she did what she thought best. Wait in silence for him.

"WHAT? Oh I get it, it's because of him right?" Natsu pointed at Loki's direction before he spoke out his current feelings. To hell with everything. "HA! FINALLY, I WAS CORRECT WITH ONE THING." He was screaming at her now, yet she wouldn't lose her resolve.

_Slowly, he drowns._

_In despair, in madness, in love._

"So is that it? You're not really going to help your father right? Haha. I was such a fool to think that you would come back home to Fairy Tail. Maybe you should just run off with your little Lion and make babies along the way. Shit. I don't even want to know what you did in the hotel. So tell me Lucy? Was it worth it? Was he _good_?" Natsu was laughing in the background. Screw it with the 'I love you'. She clearly wasn't thinking along the same lines. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; if she did not want to finish what she started then he might as well do it for her.

"Hey Lucy?" Natsu looked at her again, rage in his eyes. "Can he compare to this?" With a blink of an eye, Natsu forced himself on Lucy and kissed her harshly on the lips. It was soft and inviting, just like how he imagined it, yet right now, he couldn't think of those thoughts. He pushed past her lips and forced his tongue inside her mouth, he was about to place his hands under her shirt when he felt a punch on his face.

Natsu was startled by the punch that he wasn't able to dodge it. When he finally collected himself, he saw the Lion standing protectively in front of a crying Lucy.

Loki was beyond angry. He wanted to rip Natsu into pieces. He hurt Lucy and it was all the reason that he needs to kill him. He was standing from afar and was only intending to watch the entire scene. He thought that this was the fairy tale ending fitted for the story of two people whose hearts could not meet. Yet Natsu proved him wrong when he started shouting with rage and forcedly kissed Lucy. He couldn't just stand and watch Lucy break into pieces.

The bastard.

Natsu was angry, not only was he dumped by Lucy but he also got punched in the face. He was about to land a punch on Loki when finally, Lucy spoke up.

"YES Natsu, _he_ was good to me. Did you really think I would help my father with his business? Of course not! Only an idiot like you would think that way," Lucy was wiping her mouth with her hand vigorously until her lips got swollen. "-I'm here with _him_ because you know what? I'm sick and tired to see your face. You're not worth the tears, the hurt, and the space inside my heart. I regret the day I met you. I regret the day I got to know you. I regret the day I fell in love with_ you_."

Lucy pushed Loki behind her. Tears were flowing down her porcelain cheeks and went over towards where Natsu was standing who was stilled by shock and disbelief.

_And as a princess, I was guarded._

_By lions and towering castles,_

_Yet none protected my heart from breaking._

"You know what Natsu. You are a big idiot. I hate you. You took my heart in your hands and crushed it into pieces and left me alone to glue it all together. You destroyed my life. You stole my laughter and happiness. You never gave all of it back." Clearly saying I love you was now out of the picture.

She poked one finger at Natsu's chest before continuing.

"Why?" her voice was cracking, yet she couldn't stop now. "Why is it that every time I see you with Lisanna, I think less of myself. Useless. Worthless. A piece of trash. I feel bad for feeling hurt and angry because in truth I didn't have the rights to feel _any_ of those things because you are not mine." Lucy looked straight into Natsu's eyes before she opened her mouth again. Natsu looked like he was about to say something but he decided to let her continue.

"Aren't you tired of hurting me? You got what you wanted now, how does my _first_ kiss taste like? You know, I never imagined you would steal it away from me when in fact I had every ounce of intention to give it to you freely."

Natsu was devastated. He hurt Lucy and made her cry. He shattered her heart when in fact it belonged to him. Maybe it was true that he was an idiot because he did the worst thing possible.

He pushed Lucy away from him.

He was reaching out his hand towards her and was about to apologize when Loki interrupted him again. It was then that Natsu realized that Lucy was running away from them.

"If only you had been patient and did not jump into conclusions. _She_ would have been yours Natsu. This was your chance and yet you blew it. Don't screw up a second time because by then I would really steal her away from you." Loki pushed his glasses up his nose.

"And Natsu, before you go, let me tell you this." Loki walked past Natsu, hands inside his pocket before he spoke again. "Nothing happened between me and Lucy. She loves you too much that even when she's with me, all she could think about is you. And I hate you for that."

When Loki turned around to give Natsu another earshot, he was glad to see him running after Lucy, he surely didn't waste any time.

"You know Loki, you're too nice." Happy went out of his hiding spot at the top of the tree when he saw Natsu ran away. The Fire Mage didn't even bother to call out on him. He was too busy to run after _his_ Lucy.

Loki smiled and grinned at happy. "Of course I am. Say, why don't we spy on them together?" He wiggled his eyebrows at Happy to which the blue-haired cat merrily agreed.

"Aye sir!"

_And in all fairy tales, _

_The knight never got the princess._

_He was so close, yet so far._

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><p><strong>So there.<strong>

**I'm sorry if I was slow on the updates. Some IRL issues came up. **

**Anyway, this chapter was supposed to be longer and was supposed to be the ending. But after I wrote the lovers spat scene, I couldn't think of anything else. So I've decided to leave the reunion and make-up for the next chapter. (I don't know why but the number 9 always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.)**

**I'll try to update droplets over the weekend. **

**Lastly, I still don't know if I would put up an epilogue for this story, but we'll see if chapter 10 turns out okay. I might leave it as is. But for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**It's my first lovers spat scene so I hope I pulled it off.**

**Your reviews make me happy! So just click that review button at the bottom of the page! ^^**

**~ Fia.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone!**

**Thank you again to those who read and to those who reviewed.**

**Seriously, none of this would have happened if you guys didn't read this story in the first place.**

**I apologize in advance if I didn't meet your expectations with this chapter but I decided to already end Two Hearts with this type of ending – because I'm enjoying myself from crack fics (RoLu, LaLu, GraLu, ZerCy) lately (try checking them out if you have the time and let me know what you think).**

**I'll try to fix any mistakes in this story in the coming days – just to polish Two Hearts as much as I can.**

**Without further ado, here is the last chapter of Two Hearts. I hope you'd enjoy this.**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. (^^)**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hearts<strong>

**Chapter 10**

_Your hair on my fingertips,_

_Your lips on mine,_

_Ah, the feeling of bliss._

She didn't know how far she ran or where the heck she is currently situated – all she knew was she needed to get away from him, fast.

So this is how it feels to get your heart broken the second time around. It was like going through hell over and over again until you've had enough and would only want to just lie down and sleep it all off.

Lucy thought she could handle the pain because you can never break anything that was already broken, right?

Wrong.

She was all wrong. If her heart was broken before, right now, it felt like her heart was crushed into nothingness - into tiny bit of dust – never to be whole again.

Lucy lifted her arm and covered her eyes as she tried to block away the flow of tears. Her legs were still and unmoving as she sat on a swing under the big oak tree.

She wanted to scream so badly and tear her heart out but she couldn't do so – this was the price she paid for falling for someone like Natsu. She's the one who imposed this on herself so she couldn't blame anyone except herself.

She hated her life.

She hated everything.

She hated being this pathetic.

As she tried to compose herself, she brought her hands down and gripped the metal chains of the swing so tightly that it made her knuckles white.

Just this once, she'll let herself cry one last time.

"Lucy."

Her body stiffened at the sound.

"Luce."

His voice was closer now, yet she made no move to acknowledge him.

Right there, as Natsu saw Lucy's slumped form on the swing – with her back facing him – he wanted to kill himself for doing this to her.

He was such an idiot.

Natsu willed his legs to move behind Lucy – close enough so that they were only inches apart. Then, he placed his hands on the chains and started to rock the swing back and forth.

Only the creaking sounds of old metal could be heard.

He did this for a few more minutes while he silently played inside his head the things he wanted to say to her.

Finally, when he was confident enough, Natsu cleared his throat and stopped his movements.

"Lucy, I'm sorry."

No reply.

"I know you're angry from what happened, but I truly am sorry. I was overcome by anger and jealousy that I wasn't thinking right when I started screaming and forcing myself on you."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Please forgive me. I didn't mean any of it. I was a jerk. I was an outright and total idiot to do those things to you and I..."

Natsu paused for a bit. Suddenly, he was unsure of himself. He couldn't even see her expressions from where he stood and that nerved him to no end.

What if she was too angry to forgive him?

What if he messed up too badly this time that nothing could mend the mess he made?

Should he give her to Loki?

Would she be happy with him?

"Lucy, if you can't forgive me, just please, know this one thing –" With a sigh, Natsu stared directly in her direction, as if his eyes could see through her very soul. "- I love you."

She let out a small cry upon hearing his words.

"I love you so damn much."

This is it and he hoped his feeling got across through his words.

"You know, I would even let myself be beaten up by Loki or Gray or even Erza if that could mean you'll forgive me."

He gave out a slight chuckle – his only way of relaxing his nerves.

"I wouldn't even mind riding a train for the rest of my life. I would even have Elfman teach me how to become like a _Man_, just please... forgive me."

He sounded so desperate now that he wanted to cry because of it.

And then, his ears picked up the faintest laughter from _her_ lips.

Lucy turned her head to look at him and gave him a smile.

"You know, for a desperate man, you sure topped the list."

And just like that, his hope flared up at the sight.

"Let's try it all over again."

"And have my heart broken the third time?"

His face darkened with guilt.

"Natsu, I don't think we can redo everything that's happened. What I do know is that we can always change what's up ahead."

And as Lucy reached out to cover his hand with hers, Natsu finally gave out a smile that at least, things would be alright.

"Thank you Lucy." And he kissed her hand in return with all the tenderness he could muster. "That is all I need."

And after all the tears, finally, Lucy allowed herself to be consumed with a new hope of falling in love the second time around.

_Let us love each other, forever._

_Let us kiss each other, forever._

_Let us seal forever - together._

.

.

.

"Loki, can you tell me how Mom and Dad got together?"

The Lion spirit gave out a chuckle as he ruffled the little girl's pink locks.

"Then this will be our little secret okay?"

The little girl nodded her head in return.

"Your father might roast me if he finds out me and Happy spied on him and your mother when he confessed on a swing."

She looked at him with bright chocolate eyes. "I have every right to know any secret of yours because when I grow up, I'll let you have the honour to be my prince."

She gave him her toothy smile and he grinned in return.

"Very well then my little princess. I would wait patiently until that time comes."

"Of course, I'll burn you if you don't."

"You sure are like your mother."

And together, they watched the setting sun to kiss the day goodbye.

_._

_._

_._

_Love is me plus you._

_Let two hearts beat as one_

_And live the perfect fairy tale story._

_._

_._

"I love you."

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><p><strong>So that's all folks.<strong>

**I couldn't thank you enough for all the support that you've given me.**

**To all those who reviewed (I never thought my story could even reach 100 reviews), favourite-d, alerted, and simply read this story – even though I couldn't write down each and every one of your names here – please do know that you are the reason why I kept writing Two Hearts. **

**I hope you guys had fun reading this story as much as I had enjoyed writing this. **

**I also hope to hear from you guys again with my other stories ^^.**

**~0~**

**So for the last time, **

**I do hope you guys would leave a review and let me know what you think of Two Hearts as a whole.**

– **think of it as my last request for this story.**

**~0~**

**Your reviews make me happy! So just click that review button at the bottom of the page! ^^**

**~ Fia.**


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